Tostitos Salute the Troops Bowl

Best Use of Public Relations in a Promotion Campaign

Tostitos Salute the Troops Bowl
Agency: The Marketing Arm
Client: Frito-Lay

Tostitos reports that the tortilla chip category has become commoditized in recent years. The brand wanted to move consumers beyond price and toward their value message. Frito-Lay also values the American troops serving overseas in Iraq and wanted to do something for the men and women to whom we owe so much. Using their current sponsorship of college football, Tostitos brought the first “Tostitos Salute the Troops Bowl” to the troops at Camp Victory in Iraq.

Partnering with the USO, Tostitos and former college football stars Brian Bosworth and Joe Washington, among others, and coaches, including Tommy Bowden and Barry Switzer, flew into Kuwait for autographs and meet-and-greets. They then boarded a cargo plane to a secret location. In addition, Tostitos brought a pep rally, a tailgate party, a band and cheerleaders from the University of Colorado. It was as close to a college bowl game experience as they could get in a war zone. The team even had to hit the deck when incoming mortars were fired at their location.

With the Tostitos logo painted on a field of dirt, the entire group played a flag football game generating laughter, camaraderie and joy. A two-minute video of the game was broadcast during halftime and a $200,000 check was presented to the USO. Fans in the stands were encouraged to go online to donate to the USO to continue the tradition of giving our troops a taste of home.

The game generated more than 200 million impressions of earned media, including more than 1,500 stories and more than 80 broadcast hits ($5.6 million in ad equivalency).

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